Packers show support for star offensive lineman set to make season debut

The Green Bay Packers are set to get a huge boost to their offensive line on Sunday.

First-team All Pro offensive tackle David Bakhtiari will make his season debut this weekend against the Buccaneers in Tampa.

In honor of his return, several members of the Packers donned Bakhtiari t-shirts entering their plane for Tampa.

Bakhtiari has had lingering knee issues since he tore his ACL in a practice leading up to Week 17 in 2020. He played in just one regular season game – the Packers’ final one – last year. He did not play in the NFC Divisional Round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

Bakhtiari signed a four-year deal worth $105.5 million in November 2020 shortly before he was named to the All-Pro first team for the second time in his career, making him the richest offensive lineman in NFL history.

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The 30-year-old (he turns 31 on Friday) was drafted by the Packers out of the University of Colorado in the fourth round. He signed a four-year extension just after Week 1 of the 2016 season, his first extension with the team.

Bakhtiari has undergone three surgeries on his knee, the final one coming before OTAs this offseason. It’s been a long road, but Aaron Rodgers and Co. now have as much help as they can ask for.